Lab in Psychology of Gender Images

Catalog description

This course will examine visual representations of women, men, and non-binary individuals, femininity and masculinity, sexual minorities, and gender norms and relations from a psychological perspective. We will closely survey the nature of social perception, consider several systems for coding and interpreting visual images and language in media, and examine how gender images psychologically impact those who see them. We will explore questions such as: How is gender portrayed visually? What are the methods that psychologists employ to assess this? And, what are the psychological consequences of exposure to certain kinds of gender images? Students in the course will develop media literacy and expand their knowledge of how gender is represented in media in ways that both mirror and reinforce cultural stereotypes. They will gain a deep understanding of the tools that psychologists employ to study media content and its effects on viewers scientifically. Students will apply what they learn in the course by conducting a research project of their own.